Lone Star Mini Restoration

[gr8kornholio]

If you have them, I'd love the specs on the rolling frame under the shell.  Looks exactly like what I'll need to build for mine.

[94touring]

A standard pallet and 4 swivel casters with brakes is what I prefer.  I have several dollies.

[Lone Star Mini]

If you have them, I'd love the specs on the rolling frame under the shell.  Looks exactly like what I'll need to build for mine.

About the only successful end I've had for the day was measuring the dolly for gr8kornholio.. a tad frustrating day with the rotisserie..   

Dolly made from quantity three 2X6x96 boards, but I wish I would have bought four boards because mine came up short as can be seen in the picture.  This is why the top layer was short on both sides.  I bought four $6 caster wheels from Harbor Freight. they were rated for 350lbs each.  The dolly does seem to be the perfect size for the Mini Shell.

[Lone Star Mini]

Rotisserie Woes..    I literally spent 9-10 hours today trying to figure out the Rotisserie..  2 steps fwd, 1.5 steps backward.  I think I even got sunburned..  Each time I was confident I had it "this time".  No time did I get it right.   I'm still scratching my head over this dang thing, but I will conquer it.  There were no instructions on using the rotisserie and the manual that came with it only gave assembly instructions.  There are no real videos out there that I can find on anything close.  Oh there are quite a few videos online, but none of them offer real help.  I finally figured out some of the sequenceng, but still can't balance the shell.  By now, I'm thinking the simple pole rotis would have been the best bet.  All in all, once I get it figured/worked out, I'm sure I will like it.  Because I have to mow the yard, I've left it with the idea that I must add a gusset type beam.  Even with all bolts torqued down, the shell seems to sag downward with having only the horizontal attachment in the front (maybe the back too?).    Therefore I will design a beam that will attach to the horizontal support on the rotis and then down on the shell where the front subframe attached.  This gusset beam should definitely hold the shell level with the front rotisserie.  It's not a failure, but it's definitely frustrating 50.gif

[94touring]

Keep in mind that mine, which were slapped together with scraps in about 2 hours, sags and bends and looks like it could blow at any moment.  At the end of the day you just need it to twist a shell to make it easier to do body work. 

[Lone Star Mini]

I paid approx. $275 for it and thought I had it made with a nice rotisserie.  Since then, i've paid another $80-$90 in hardware and steel and now more expense in more steel.  Once it get it figured out, it well help if only for better access.  Then for restoration #2, it will come in use again.  Maybe a good nights sleep will help with ideas..

[94touring]

Ain't no fun welding or painting on your back!

[MiniDave]

www.TexasGreenBlast.com or give us a call at 512-960-7166

[Lone Star Mini]

 Thanks Dan.  I will give them a call.  My brother-n-law also showed me this a while back as I think it's what he used on his truck.. 

[Lone Star Mini]

Called Texas Green Blast and I was a bit excited because the bloke was a Brit therefore he was familiar with car and the size. I was a tad hopeful that he would give me a better than fair price being an English classic. $1400 tends to out weigh your power washer kit and sand I believe. 

[94touring]

Yeah I don't charge nearly that.

[MiniDave]

I had no idea what the cost would be - $1400 seems a little steep to me too.....

[94touring]

I actually assumed but wasn't going to say probably 1500.

[94touring]

Also I say that because I looked into buying one of those blasters. I didn't have 5k to blow on something like that. So I invested about 1000 in equipment and the rest is history.

[Lone Star Mini]

i would rather pay for the kit you used and borrow a pressure washer. The kit will come I use for both this restoration and the one following.  Certainly a bargain compared to 2X $1400

[94touring]

Bare in mind the pressure washer you use needs to push 4gpm at minimum.  Anything less would be uncivilized...or just not work.

[gr8kornholio]

Thanks for the dolly measurements.  Is there/do you attach it to the shell in any way?  Figured easiest would be may a tie down strapped wrapped around it.

[94touring]

Really no need for tie downs. The shells stay put well.

[BruceK]

Called Texas Green Blast and I was a bit excited because the bloke was a Brit therefore he was familiar with car and the size. I was a tad hopeful that he would give me a better than fair price being an English classic. $1400 tends to out weigh your power washer kit and sand I believe.

I realize there's some capital investment involved and every well-run business deserves a profit, but how would it take them to blast a Mini body?    I'm guessing under an hour including equipment set up and teardown.  Unless I realy don't understand what is involved, that seems like a whole lot of money for 45 minutes of waving a wand around. 

[94touring]

Ahh a bit more than 45 minutes of waving a wand.  Looks quick and easy in the clip doing a rear quarter panel but reality is it takes several hours to get every knoock and cranny, and another hour or two getting all the media out.  Ends up being about all day.

[BruceK]

Ah.  So I might have oversimplified things a bit, huh?   :-[

[94touring]

And your arms get tired and you end up completely filthy and wet.  Getting in the boot and interior creates a hurricane of water and media. The guys in that clip are casually wearing short sleaves like it's no big deal, but do the whole car that way and you'd have no skin left from the media bounce backs.

[Lone Star Mini]

Thanks for the dolly measurements.  Is there/do you attach it to the shell in any way?  Figured easiest would be may a tie down strapped wrapped around it.

The one thing differently that I would have done is rather than use the two short board on either side, I should have cut them in two and lined all four pieces with the ends (leaving a gap in the  center of the dolly.

Can't speak to tie downs, but I have a small concrete step between garage and driveway.  Every time my dolly hit that bump, the shell would slide forward.    I didn't take a picture, but I found two existing holes in the floor board of the shell directly over the dolly.  I used two rubber grommets and screwed the shell to the dolly..  worked perfectly for me.

[Lone Star Mini]

Called Texas Green Blast and I was a bit excited because the bloke was a Brit therefore he was familiar with car and the size. I was a tad hopeful that he would give me a better than fair price being an English classic. $1400 tends to out weigh your power washer kit and sand I believe.

I realize there's some capital investment involved and every well-run business deserves a profit, but how would it take them to blast a Mini body?    I'm guessing under an hour including equipment set up and teardown.  Unless I realy don't understand what is involved, that seems like a whole lot of money for 45 minutes of waving a wand around.

To be fair to the gent, the $1400 included entire body, inside and out, and doors, boot and bonnet lids.  So it wasn't just the outside shell.  I want to do the work so it's a lot cheaper for me to buy the materials.  Of course now I have to save up for this and my welder..  geez....

[MiniDave]

What welder are you looking at buying? The name brands like Lincoln, Hobart and Miller cost more, but the welds are much better too....don't bother with a flux style wire feed welder, buy one that has the gas regulator, you can rent a bottle of Mig gas from your local welding supply store very reasonably and it will give you clean, splatter free welds.

For sheet metal work a 120V welder is fine and most cost effective. Check Craigslist for a good buy on a lightly used one, but try it out before you buy it - or have the owner run a few beads for you to show you how well it works. A 20-30% duty cycle is not a problem for what you'll be doing......so no reason to buy a 220V unless you're also planning to do some really heavy duty welding. I've had my 120V welder for over 25 years and it's done everything I've needed and more......

I sandblasted the entire shell on my old Jag, it took weeks working a few hours at a time......